Joined: 01 Jun 2011Posts: 192Location: Fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:11 pm Post subject:

Very hard to get by without driving in the Middle East. This is my opinion after 16 years in the UAE and KSA combined.

Wow, three master's and a JD. But no Middle East background. Volunteer ESL doesn't count. You need a degree in applied linguistics, English or ESL plus the CELTA--minimum. With your background only the universities would be suitable, aside from the fact that you need teacher certification at the schools. For the univs. you need two or three years' post-MA experience. Sometimes they accept people with the ESL / linguistics BA + CELTA + 3 years' experience but then they expect you to complete a suitable online master's. I assume you don't want to go for a fourth one.

You may well qualify for a content (anything but EFL) position. Hard to say.

A CELTA will certainly improve your chances for an entry-level teaching spot in the Mid East, but that might mean taking your chances with a recruiter. Frankly, with minimal qualifications, you'd fare better by going to Asia to gain paid experience before coming to the ME. Just something for you to chew on if you're flexible about where you're willing to go to teach.

In some ways, it's a similar question to the one above. I'm utterly new to the field, and would love to teach in the middle east, but my sense is for those w/ limited/no experience (I taught in the West Bank for a bit, but unpaid), it's better to start in Asia.

(I have my CELTA, an honours BA from a good Canadian Uni with good marks, I'm 24. That's it basically).

I'm also not certain about the various options. I'm not keen on the Gulf for a variety of reasons of things I've heard. Here's my sense of some other places:

Jordan/Lebanon: Limited job options beyond universities requiring much higher credentialing
Morocco: I've heard great things, but seems you need a year of experience, and postings seem few?
Egypt: This is where I'm least certain. I've heard there are many opportunities, but see limited postings, the ones that do come up asking for people already in country.

It's hard to know where to begin (i'm sure a common refrain), so any help would be much obliged.

" * Visa restrictions: Work visa applicants must be over 22 years of age. Also, the mandatory retirement age at most employers is 60, after which they will not be able to apply for a work visa for you."

Jordan/Lebanon: Limited job options beyond universities requiring much higher credentialing
Morocco: I've heard great things, but seems you need a year of experience, and postings seem few?
Egypt: This is where I'm least certain. I've heard there are many opportunities, but see limited postings, the ones that do come up asking for people already in country.

With your lack of credentials and experience, you wouldn't be eligible for the few jobs in these countries that offer much in pay or benefits (especially not universities). They are not going to fly you there. You are at an age and experience level that you would need to go and knock on doors. With the current situation in Egypt, I would probably head to Morocco. There are a number of language schools where you might be able to pick up some classes with your CELTA. There is AMIDEAST, the American Language Center, and British Council if that is a better fit. Likely there are also other smaller ones.

That said, I agree with those who feel that Asia is a better place to start. Head there and get a year or two of experience on your CV, and then try these ME countries.

Both of these countries have fewer opportunities. Jordan because it has a small population and Lebanon for a similar reason. Both of them, Lebanon in particular, have plenty of local English teachers. (they both, in fact, export hundreds of English teachers to the Gulf)

If you had an MA, there are a couple good universities in Lebanon that have good foreign hire contracts. Every once in awhile you see an ad for a position in Jordan.

So, yes, it is a matter of going and knocking on the doors of the language schools. BC is in both countries and I know that AMIDEAST is in Jordan.

BTW, while pay will be very low in these countries... bare survival pay, in a few months, one can usually pick up private students through contacts to supplement income.

BTW2, a problem in all of these countries will be visas for long term stays. Usually means regular visa runs.

For Suadi Arabia, universally, the minimum age has been changed within the past couple of months. It is now 27. From what i have been told, this is from the government, something about too many young people bringing in too much contraband...